NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - The City of North Little Rock is asking residents to weigh in on recycling as its contract with Waste Management for curbside recycling service is nearly up for renewal.
In a Facebook post Thursday, Sept. 6, the city wrote: “There is a lot to consider, such as: how much we pay WM, their level of service, if there are any alternatives to WM, how much would those alternatives cost?”
In April 2019, Waste Management's seven-year recycling contract with North Little Rock, Little Rock and Sherwood ends. According to North Little Rock Mayor Joe Smith that means it's time for a new contract or to re-negotiate the current one.
“We've been in negotiations for the last month and [they’re] not really going in the direction that I wanted it to go, so I really had to bring the city council in and get them involved in it,” Smith said.
Currently, North Little Rock residents pay $2.99 per month on their electric bill for recycling. Residents will pay at least $4.25 monthly under a future contract with Waste Management, the mayor said.
“A lot of our people can afford the four dollars and a quarter and a lot of them can’t, so we’re trying to weigh the advantages to recycling,” Smith said.
North Little Rock leaders are researching how other cities handle recycling issues in their community. They will discuss those and hear directly from residents about their concerns during a public hearing on Monday, Sept. 10 at 5 p.m. The meeting will be held on the second floor of City Hall ahead of the regularly scheduled city council meeting.
Waste Management officials said that changes in the recycling industry and contamination rates are among reasons a rate increase is necessary.
“The domestic recycling business in North America really sent probably 40 percent of material that was collected to China,” George Wheatley, Arkansas Director of Public Affairs for Waste Management said. “As of the beginning of this year, China has put a ban on all recycling unless it is absolutely 100 percent pristine clean. Nobody can meet those requirements,” he said.
Wheatley said part of contract negotiations include Waste Management investing more money in an education program to help people recycle properly.
“I believe we are very, very close to at least having a resolution verbalized, and I know that the cities are now talking to their citizens as to whether or not they want to continue a recycle program,” Wheatley said.
North Little Rock residents can email their recycling opinions and suggestions to city communications director Nathan Hamilton at nhamilton@nlr.ar.gov